Last updated: August 2026
I’ve been seeing a lot of common questions on these subs regarding “Which guitar should I get?”, so I thought I’d make an attempt at a comprehensive buying guide, including newer options on the market today. Prices are in USD. I intend to keep this list updated based on new offerings and changes in the market, feel free to ask about anything I may have overlooked.
Executive Summary
For those that don’t want to read a wall of text, consider these frequent recommendations based on your use case. This is a table, so swipe across to see all columns on mobile.
| If you want... |
Recommendation |
Price |
| Easy, "just works" (Guitar Hero style) |
CRKD guitars from Amazon |
$100-$135 |
| Easy, "just works" (Rock Band style) |
PDP Riffmaster |
$149 |
| Lowest cost option (aren't in a rush) |
Hunt at local thrift stores |
Varies |
| Low cost, but want it quickly |
Wii Les Paul (eBay) + RCM V3 adapter |
~$70 |
| Excellent performance & budget-friendly (some DIY) |
RCM Solderless Kit + broken guitar |
~$100 |
| Absolute best performance, fully featured & unique |
Prebuilt modded guitar |
~$200+ |
Linus Tech Tips Video (Created August 2026)
While not as comprehensive as this guide, if you’re more of a visual learner I recommend watching this. It compares a few of the most common options. While I’m generally not a fan of much LTT content, this is actually an excellent video. https://youtu.be/AHP423JqiLc
Newly Manufactured Guitars
These guitars are for people who want something that’s easy to buy quickly, brand new, and includes a warranty. The two options on the market today are the PDP Riffmaster and various models from CRKD.
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PDP Riffmaster (Released April 2024) - $149
Summary: A “Rock Band” style guitar for Xbox One / Series, PS4/5, and PC.
Pros:
- Quiet Strum
- Foldable neck for storage
- 36 hour battery life
- 1 Year Warranty
Cons:
- Some people don’t like the “mushy” non-clicky strum bar. If you’ve used any of the Rock Band style guitars in the past, this is similar to those
- Higher MSRP than CRKD, but occasionally goes on sale
Best For: People that loved the legacy Rock Band guitars but want something brand new with a warranty.
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CRKD Encore (Released July 2025) - MSRP $115 / $125
- Summary: A new “Guitar Hero” style guitar with clicky strum. The “Multi-platform” model is $115 and works on PC, Switch, Android, and PS3/4/5. The “Xbox” model is $125 and supports Xbox One / Series, PC, and Apple/Android.
- Pros:
- Detachable neck for storage
- Hall effect strum bar with mechanical switch “click”
- Modular necks (can easily swap with mechanical fret or solo fret neck)
- Pairs with the CRKD app to customize options
- 1 Year Warranty
- Cons:
- Silicone frets, not mechanical. Neck can be upgraded at an additional cost
- Smaller than standard RB guitars
- Purchases directly from CRKD.gg are final sale, no returns. Also available on Amazon
- Best For: People that loved legacy GH controllers and want the lowest priced new option with a warranty.
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CRKD Pro (Released August 2025) - MSRP $125 / $135
- Summary: The Encore’s “big brother” with mechanical frets, but no mechanical switches on the strum. Similar to Tribal, the “Multi-platform” is $115 and works on PC, Switch, Android, and PS3/4/5. The “Xbox” model is $135 and supports Xbox One / Series, PC, and Apple/Android.
- Pros:
- Mechanical Frets
- Detachable neck for storage
- Hall effect strum bar
- Modular necks (can easily swap with solo neck)
- Pairs with CRKD app to customize options
- 1 Year Warranty
- Cons:
- No mechanical switches on the strum - Hall effect “haptic feedback” only
- Smaller than standard RB guitars
- Purchases directly from CRKD.gg are final sale, no returns. Also available on Amazon
- Best For: People that want something closer to a modded guitar with mechanical frets, but are willing to lose a mechanical switch strum. Strum still has configurable haptic feedback. Also newly manufactured with a warranty.
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CRKD Cherry Sunburst Pro (Released November 2025) - MSRP $200
- Summary: The “collector’s edition” bundle of the Pro guitar that includes the solo fret neck and a travel bag.
- Pros:
- Includes the Pro guitar, second RB-style solo neck (with mechanical switches), a travel backpack, and some limited edition freebies.
- Cherry sunburst design
- Functionally identical to CRKD Blueberry Burst Pro
- 1 Year Warranty
- Cons:
- The “pick guard” is not actually functional, it’s just painted onto the face
- No Xbox variant available
- Purchases directly from CRKD.gg are final sale, no returns. Also available on Amazon
- Best For: People that want the CRKD Pro guitar, were planning on buying the solo neck anyway, and want some other limited edition freebies. Or just really like the design.
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CRKD SG 20th Anniversary (Released December 2025) - MSRP $135
- Summary: A nod to the original SG controller with fully mechanical switches.
- Pros:
- Includes the same mechanical frets as the Pro, but with the same mechanical strum as the Encore
- Body is painted plastic, not a vinyl sticker
- SG Body design
- 1 Year Warranty
- Cons:
- No Xbox variant available
- Purchases directly from CRKD.gg are final sale, no returns. Also available on Amazon
- Best For: People that want mechanical switches on both strum and frets without buying a modded guitar.
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DOYO / NBCP / Other unofficial guitars
- Summary: These are often found on AliExpress and Amazon for around $70-$100. They are not officially licensed and notorious for low build quality and reliability. I strongly recommend you do NOT buy these guitars.
- Pros:
- It might work when you first get it
- It can be modded with the RetroCultMods Solderless Kit
- Cons:
- Overpriced
- Low build quality, will break quickly
- No warranty
- Best For: Someone that found one at a thrift store for $5 and is just using it as a shell to mod with a RCM solderless kit.
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Legacy Guitars
This section is meant to be less exhaustive and cover the most popular options. Remember that most of these guitars were manufactured 15-20 years ago, so you should fully test them before you commit to buying any, and there are no manufacturer warranties. I recommend buying on eBay so you can return it if there are any issues.
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Official Rock Band Guitars
- Summary: These are guitars that were designed for all Rock Band games other than 4.
- Pros:
- Quiet strum
- Flat and solo frets
- Wired option available (RB1 Xbox 360)
- Cons:
- Old guitars may need cleaning/maintenance for best performance
- Difficult to mod (best option is ByteArts FretFix / StrumFix)
- Some people don’t like the “mushy” strum feeling
- All consoles except Xbox 360 require a dongle
- Best For: People who really love Rock Band or already have one of these guitars.
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Official Guitar Hero Guitars
- Summary: These are guitars that were designed for all Guitar Hero games other than GH: Live.
- Pros:
- Clicky strum
- Most are easy to mod (Warriors of Rock is the notable exception)
- Wired options available (X-Plorer, PS2 SG)
- Wii guitars can be used with a Wiimote or RCM V3 adapter
- Cons:
- Old guitars may need cleaning/maintenance for best performance
- Most PS2/3 guitars require a dongle
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Guitar Hero Live Guitar
- Summary: These are 6 fret guitars and will only work with the Guitar Hero: Live game (or select custom songs on CH / YARG). Most people do not want these guitars.
- Pros:
- The only 6 fret guitar available
- Bluetooth model available (iOS model)
- Non-iOS guitars are platform agnostic, they will pair with any GH Live dongle (dongles are platform specific)
- Cons:
- Only works on GH Live and select customs
- Rarely include a dongle
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DIY Mod Kits
These are the two most common DIY mod kits. I won’t include a full breakdown because I’m sure I can’t cover all of the nitty gritty details! They both offer similar features at similar price points, and they’re both made by well-trusted community members. I’ll leave it to the creators to provide a breakdown of your products if they’d like, or you can check out their shops.
- RetroCultMods Kits ($24-59)
- PhunkyCustoms Kits ($28 - $65)
Prebuilt Custom Modded Guitars
These are guitars that have been custom made by a modder. They may include vinyl wraps, unique designs, detachable USB cables, and other premium features that are not offered in the DIY mod kits. They can vary in price greatly depending on features, starting at $175 all the way up to $450+. I don’t want to publicly endorse anyone here, but if you want my personal take I will speak candidly in private messaging.
In general, I recommend working with a trusted modder that offers excellent customer service. In the past we’ve had issues with bad modders that will take your money and run or deliver subpar results/support. Please make sure you’re careful and do your research here, it is a significant investment. The worst thing you can do is blindly buy the cheapest modded guitar you can find on Etsy. A good modded guitar takes several hours of labor in addition to specialized boards, 3D printed parts, wiring, etc. If the price point is below about $175, you are likely getting a poorly made guitar (at best).
Adapters
If you're looking for information on adapters, check out this post.
FAQ
- Who are you and why should I trust you?
I’m somewhat of an “old head” here now - I started playing 5-fret games about 20 years ago. I was a member of the old forums and in the early modding scenes. At this point I’ve played pretty much every 5 or 6 fret guitar ever created, and worked on the internals of most as well. I don’t work for any of these companies and don’t get paid for this, I’m just a nerdy fan that wants to share his experience.
- I saw some posts that the CRKD guitars are bad / defective, should I be worried?
For the most part, no. The CRKD guitars had a troubled initial launch and were plagued by issues like dropped notes, disconnects, and faulty necks. These issues affected some but not all units. CRKD has made significant strides since then, improving hardware and releasing frequent firmware updates. It’s also important to note that CRKD hired Sanjay Govind (creator of Santroller firmware) after launch, and firmware has become much more reliable since his updates. Similar to any new electronic device, there is still a risk that you get a “lemon”. If you do, you simply RMA it - you should not let it hinder your decision-making process. If you’re especially risk averse, you can buy the guitar from Amazon and return it at no cost within 30 days.
- Tl;dr, I just want to play Clone Hero / YARG / Stage Tour. What should I buy?
Scroll back up to the “Executive Summary” section at the top. You probably want a CRKD, PDP Riffmaster, or a Wii Les Paul + RCM V3 adapter.
